Search your screen with Circle to Search

Important: This feature is available on select models of Android phones.

Circle, highlight, scribble, or tap text or images anywhere on your screen to select and search for them on Google.

How to use Circle to Search

To search for text, images, or videos on your screen:

1. Start Circle to Search:
   • On 3-button navigation mode, long press the Home button.

   

   • On Gesture navigation mode, long press the navigation handle.

   

   Learn how to get around on your Android phone.

2. Circle, highlight, or tap anywhere on the screen to select the text, image, or video you want to search.
3. If desired, you can refine your search, by adding text in the search bar.
4. Your search results appear at the bottom of the screen.
   • To see more results, swipe up on the results.

Tips:

• To adjust your selection, drag the borders of the selection or the entire selection.
• To interact with content blocked by the Search Bar, two finger pan to move the window or drag the Search Bar to the top or bottom of the screen.
• To translate your entire screen instantly, next to the search bar, tap on the translate button. This feature is available for selected devices.
• To perform a music search of the audio that plays around you, or through speakers on your device, tap the Musical note .

Get AI Overviews with Circle to Search

You can get AI Overviews with Circle to Search based on your text or multisearch queries. Learn more about multisearch.

• If you’re in the United States:
  • AI Overviews are available by default on multisearch queries.
  • To enable AI Overviews for text queries, you need to opt in to "AI Overviews and more" in Search Labs. Learn more about "AI Overviews and more".
• If you’re outside the United States:
  • To enable AI Overviews for text and multisearch queries, you need to opt in to "AI Overviews and more" in Search Labs. Learn more about "AI Overviews and more".

Turn off Circle to Search

On 3-button navigation mode

1. On your Android phone, go to Settings .
2. Search for Circle to Search.
3. Tap Circle to Search.
4. Turn off Circle to Search.

On Gesture navigation mode

1. On your Android phone, go to Settings .
2. Search for Circle to Search.
3. Tap Circle to Search.
4. Turn off Circle to Search.

Troubleshoot "Circle to Search isn't available" error

To use Circle to Search on a supported Android device, make sure that:

Your permissions settings are correct

1. On your Android phone, go to Settings .
2. Search for Digital assistant app.
3. Tap Digital assistant app.
   • Make sure that:
     • Default digital assistant is set to "Google."
     • “Use screenshot” is turned on.

Your Google app is up to date

1. On your Android phone, open the Google Play Store app .
2. At the top right, tap your Profile icon.
3. Tap Manage apps and device Manage.
4. Tap the Google app .
   • If you see the label "Update available," tap on Update.

Related resources

• “AI Overviews and more” in Search Labs
• Try experiments in Search Labs
• Where Search Labs experiments are available
• Circle to Search on your Pixel phone